Well, thorough testing of various cosmetics has been undertaken at TNT Towers, and I reckon the following lot are ultimate handbag essentials. They’re not glittery or fancy, just hardworking products that do the job. And they’ll take you from hungover to hawt in minutes (trust me on that one).
Let’s start with the basics. Foundations I rate include Clarins’ Ever Matte (pricey, but awesome), Estee Lauder’s Double Wear All Day Glow BB Moisture Makeup and Max Factor’s Face Finity All Day Flawless (I also tried out their All Day Primer, which is great). For those of you who suffer with shine, Benefit do a wonderful powder called Hello Flawless! and Sleek Makeup do a shimmering, luminous pressed powder that’s lighter and far more versatile than blusher. I never normally use bronzing pearls (I had issues with them as a teen), but Sunkissed’s pot of pearls does the job nicely. If you need a concealer, Murad’s Blemish Treatment Concealer is ace.
Let’s browse brows, shall we? Without further ado, I recommend this lot. Sleek Makeup’s Brow Kit is brilliant, especially when paired with Origins’ Fill In The Blanks eyebrow enhancer. Chelsea Beautique do a brow kit that even has stencils for the nervous brow enthusiast – top marks for them.
If you don’t already have it, make sure that you get Urban Decay’s Naked 3. Their first two Naked collections took the beauty world by storm, and they’ve done it again with their third incantation. I also love Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Pink Zinc, which stayed on through a six-hour flight. Oh, by the way – if you’re one of those people that dehydrates on planes, give Transformulas a go; their Eye-Radiance is hot stuff.
Finally, what handbag would be complete without a lipstick or two? Benefit’s Juicy Details is idiot-proof (you can apply it in the dark, in a club, without a mirror and it still goes on like a dream – winner) and Artistry’s lipsticks always last for ages. Clarins do a lovely lip gloss if you’re after something a bit more glam – it’s called Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, and I’ve been wearing Candy Shimmer. The best part? If your hair blows onto your lips, it won’t stick. Nice one, Clarins.
